Circuit controlling apparatus



Feb. 25, 1941. c. H. LARsoN 1 CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed sept. 21`, 193e 2 Sheets-$11661'l 1 nunon Filed Sept. 21, 19258 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 53 f- 125 seal-+1.25 slaaf- 125 seal- .Eu/@Tato 7.' @La/ il; M5072/ @www MW :ES W5 Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Carl H. Larson, Elkhart, Ind., assigner to The Adlake Company, a corporation of Illinois p'. Application September 21, 1938, Serial No. 231,038

13 Claims.

In the intermittent charging of a fence with electricity to protect it without injury to animals, or the flashing of a signal light and such like, it is desirable to close the circuit on the battery (or other source of current) for Very brief intervals separated by relative long open circuit intervals, and to break the circuit quickly. The brief closed circuit intervals reduce the current consumption, the relatively long open circuit intervals give the battery a chance to recover after each closed circuit interval, and the quick opening of the circuit steps up the voltage of induced current to make the shock of the fence sharp or the flash of the light bright, as

the case may be.

The principal object oi this invention is to produce apparatus for obtaining these desirable resultsr that will be practically weather proof and will endure lon-g periods of service with little or no attention or servicing.

Generally speaking, this object is `accomplished in this preferred embodiment of the invention by a novel mercury switch relay having its solenoid connected in parallel with the primary of a transformer and its armature equipped with means to delay the closing of the solenoid circuit, then break that circuit and make and break the primary circuit with an accelerated movement.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the mercury switch relay and a diagram of the wiring showing the parts of the relay in the approximate positions they occupy at the closing of the 35 solenoid circuit;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same apparatus showing the parts of the relay in the approximate positions they assume as the primary circuit is closed and about to be quickly broken;

40 Fig. 3 is a similar diagram of the same apparatus showing the parts of the relay` in the approximate positions they assume promptly after the armature falls and the circuits are all open;

4 Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating operating characteristics of the apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a circuit adaptable for use with my apparatus when 110 volt current is available.

But these drawings and the corresponding description are used solely for the purpose of disclosure and should not be interpreted as placing unnecessary limitations on the claims.

The battery is generally indicated by B, the solenoid by C, the mercuryY tube switch by D,

the transformer by E and the load, such as an electric fence or a ilashing light, by F.

The wiring I8 of the solenoid is wound on a spool Il, held between pole pieces I2 and I3, mounted upon a bar I4 by screws I5. Pole sleeves I6 and I'I fitted into the pole pieces I2 and I3 complete the magnetic circuit except for the air gap I8 which is to be bridged by the cylindricalv armature I9, when the solenoid is energized.

The armature is shown as a hollow cylinder telescoping with a hollow glass cylinder 2D, and held in place thereon by guide rings 2I, which in turn, are secured by coil springs 22 and 23, frictionally engaging the end portions .of the glass tube and projecting ybeyond them to protect the sealed envelope 24, that encloses all the moving parts and contains, in addition to those mentioned, a charge oi mercury M and a gas lill of Some inert gas, such as helium. A thick layer of sealing compound S secures the lower portion of the envelope to a sleeve 25 of Bakelite (or other insulating material) supported by a wire clip 26 in a cylinder 21 secured to the bottom :of the pole piece I3.

Lead in wires 23, 23 and 3U, are sealed into the base of the envelope, the wire 28 'is bent to form the heel electrode 3l, the wire 29 is extended through a glass sleeve 32 and a piece of heat resisting ceramic tubing 33 to end in an electrode 34 for controlling the solenoid circuit. The wire 39 'is extended through a glass sleeve 35 and a heat resisting ceramic tubing 35 to end in an electrode 3l for controlling the primary circuit.

The primary 33 of the transformer E has one end connected by the wire 39 to the lead in wire 30, and the :other end connected by the wires 4i) and 4I with one end of' the solenoid winding I0. The secondary 42 of the transformer has its ends connected by wires 43 and 44 with the load F. The core |45 of the transformer is laminated iron.

One terminal of the battery B is connected by the wire 45 with the lead in wire 28, leading to the heel terminal 3|, the .other terminal of the battery B is connected by the wire 46 and the wire 4I, with the same end of the solenoid winding I0 that isconnected with the primary 38. The opposite end of the solenoid Winding IU is connected by the wire 41 with the lead in 29 leading to the electrode 34 in the solenoid circuit. Y

It will be readily seen that the primary 38 and the solenoid I0 are connected in parallel with the battery B; that contact between the mercury M and the electrode 34, as shown in Fig. 1, will close a circuit containing the battery 13 and the solenoid C; that contact between the mercury M and the electrode 31, as shown in Fig. 2, will close a circuit including the battery B and the primary 38 of the transformer E; and that forcing the mercury below the contacts 34 and 31, as shown in Fig. 3, will break both the primary and the solenoid circuits.

In order to make a suitable delay while the parts move from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the glass tube 20 is left open to the mercury and the upper end is filled with a plug 4B of porous substance such as, for example, ceramic material known as alundum made by the Norton Company, Worcester, Mass., in several grades including dense, medium and coarse. This material is permeable by the gas ll under pressure and will allow it to flow more or less slowly through the plug 48, depending on the density and size. Hence, when the displacer drops to the position shown in Fig. 3, the trapped gas nl within the tube 2D will depress the mercury at the lower end of the tube and will thus be put under appreciable pressure under which it will slowly flow through the plug into the upper portion of the' envelope 24, and thus allow the displacer to slowly descend and the mercury to rise within the tube to the positions shown approximately in Fig. 1, when the mercury closes contact with the electrode 34. By choice of the material in the plug and a suitable proportioning of the parts, this interval can be made to suit the desired operating conditions.

When the solenoid is energized as indicated in Fig. 1, the armature I9 is attracted and attempts to bridge the air gap I8, thus lifting the displacer to the approximate position shown in Fig. 2. In this movement the plug 48 prevents the ilow of the gas fill downwardly into the glass tube 2i) and thus a portion of the mercury is lifted with the displacer and the body oi mercury takes a form somewhat like that shown in Fig. 2, thus closing contact with the electrode 31 momentarily while maintaining contact with the electrode 34. The movement of the displacei` upwardly is with high acceleration and thus the interval when the circuit is closed through the primary 38 by the mercury and the electrode 31 is short, and when the mercury column breaks that circuit is broken very sharply, along with the circuit through the solenoid. This sharp break of the circuit through the primary 38 steps up the voltage in the induced circuit through the secondary 42 to a very high decree, which makes for a powerful shock in an electric fence, or a bright iiash in a lamp, illustrated by the load E.

Opening or breaking the circuit through the solenoid, at the breaking of the circuit through the primary, prevents the surge of current from being choked by the impedance of the solenoid winding and its iron circuit. The iron in the solenoid need not, therefore, be laminated and thus the cost oi the apparatus can be correspondingly reduced.

At the beginning of an operation the parts will be approximately in the position shown in Fig. 1. Upon closing a switch (not shown) the solenoid I0 will be energized and the parts will move to the position shown in Fig. 2. Immediately thereafter both circuits will be broken and the light will be flashed or the fence charged. Then the parts will assume the approximate positions accessi shown in Fig. 3 for, a time interv-al measured by the flow of the trapped gas fill through the plug 48 until the parts come again to the approrimate positions shown in Fig. l, when the cycle of operations will be repeated.

The closed circuit period for the solenoid is necessarily long enough to saturate its core, plus an additional time required for the armature to riseand break the circuit. The open circuit period can be made of almost any duration depending upon the porous plug 41 and the proportioning of the parte.

The closed circuit period for the primary should also be long enough to saturate the core of the transformer. The shorter this period the smaller the drain on the source of electricity and the higher the economy.

The selected relationship is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 which is composed of two lines of an. oscillograrn. The curved portion 52 of the lower line represents a closed circuit period on the solenoid of .25 sec., which is followed by an open circuit period of 1.25 sec., indicated bv the line 53. The short straight line 54 indicates the closed circuit period on the primary 38 oi the transformer to be followed by the long open circuit period, indicated by the line 55. The line 54 is much shorter than the curved line 52, and indicates the relation oi the closed period on the primary to the closed period on the solenoid.

The operating characteristics indicated by this oscillogram of Fig. 4, will be preferred by many, lor it will give one quick surge in the fence or the signal lamp circuit of a desirable character.

It is possible, however, to break up the closed circuit period on the primary into a number of shorter closed circuit periods, separated by short open circuit periods, and thus produce a series of charges in the fence, or the lamp circuit.

Remembering that the closed circuit period on i the primary need only be long enough to saturate the core, the construction can easily be made to permit operation with extremely brief closed circuit periods. Then, by increasing the power of the solenoid and its core (the operating magnet) the movement of the armature will be so highly accelerated that the mercury carried up with the displacer will make and break the circuit through the primary a number of times during one cycle of operations of the displacer. This is probably due to the peculiar characteristics of mercury which makes it pour or run somewhat in the form of a chain of balls, which closes a circuit when they actually contact and open` it when` any two of them actually separate.

Fig. 5 is an oscillogram corresponding to Fig. Il, but with the power of the magnet increased indicated. As a result, for a .25 sec. closed period on the solenoid the primary is closed and broken three times, indicated by the short lines 55, thus there are three charges put on the fence or three flashes given to a signal lamp.

The length of these short closed periods is somewhat fortuitous and necessarily is variable, hence, some of the flashes observed in a neon lamp connected in the secondary of the transformer would be noticeably longer than the others. But, since the neon lamp responds immediately to the impressed charge, the signal would be made much more observable by numerous short hashes than by a single flash. Likewise, a fence will be better protected by a series of short charges coming on in a'brief period than it would by a single charge. For this reason some will prefer apparatus having the characteristics indicated by Fig. 5 rather than Fig. 4.

Under some conditions it Will be preferable to use electricity from an available line and eliminate the transformer, in which case it Will be replaced directly by the loadeither the fence or an alternating current neon lamp.

Such an arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, where the battery B isreplaced by 110 volt line 57 and the transformer has been replaced by a load F connected in parallel with the solenoid l. By changing the iron circuit in the operating magnet either A. Cfor D. C.

, can be used, and for A. C. the solenoid should ordinarily be shorter than is required for the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. yElectricians will readily make the changes in the proportions of the apparatus to give the operating characteristics that are desired for a particular installation. k

The relay lends itself to other uses, for instance, where it is desired to have the load circuit closed for a longer period than the solenoid circuit. In that case the Wire 39 would be connected to the lead-in 29 and the Wire 41 would be connected to the lead-in 39 and the mercury fill would be made correspondingly higher. With those connections the load would receive current as soon as` the mercury closed with the electrode 34 and would continue to receive current until the mercury closed with the electrode 3l and the magnet became energized.

In order to give specific data for one particular embodiment the following has been found eminently satisfactory for a relay to operate a Neon flasher and energize a fence from a six volt battery, glass envelope .638 to .648 inside diameter and approximately 5" long, armature .53 outside diameter and 21/6" long, glass tube .41 outside diameter and 27/8" long up to the plug 48. The electrodes 34 and 3l are exposed for the length of lAg" and are 1/3 difference in height, the air gap I8 is 1/3". Other dimensions are in proportion.

Mercury taken up in the bottom of the displacer gathers sufficient momentum to carry it on upwardly into the partial vacuum When the displacer is checked, `and from that height it falls around and past the electrodes 34 and 31, closing and opening the circuit rapidly.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mercury switch relay, a stationary sealed envelope, a charge of mercury and a gas ll therein, a holloW movable displacer Within the envelope open to the mercury at the bottom and having a restricted |passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including one that is in contact with the mercury only when the latter is raised within the displacer, and a third electrode .that is in contact with the mercury only when a portion thereof has been lifted with the displacer.

2. In a mercury switch relay, a stationary sealed envelope, a charge of mercury and a gas ll therein, a hollow movable displacer Within the envelope open to the mercury at the bottom and having a restricted passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including one that is out of contact With the mercury except vvhen the displacer is partly sunk and mercury has risen Within the displacer, and a third electrode that is out of contact with .the mercury except When the displacer has been lifted and has carried enclosed mercury up with it.

3. In a mercury switch relay, a stationary sealed envelope, a charge of mercury and a gas ll therein, a hollow movable displacer Within the lenvelope open to .the mercury at lthe bottom and having a restricted passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including one within the displacer above the low level of the mercury therein but Within reach of displaced mercury rising therein, and a third electrode Within the displacer above the level of the disp-laced mercury rising therein, but within reach of mercury carried up With the displacer when it is raised.

4. In a device of the class described, a circuit including a source of current and the .primary of a transformer, a relay including a solenoid in parallel with the primary, and means operated by the solenoid .to break the circuit through the solenoid With an accelerated movement and momentarily close the circuit through the primary.

5. In a device of the class described, a circuit including a source of current and the primary of a transformer, a relay including a solenoid in parallel with the primary, a stationary sealed envelope associated With the solenoid, a charge of mercury and a gas fill therein, a hollow displacer for the mercury including an armature for the solenoid and 'being open to the mercury at the bottom and having a restricted passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including Aone that is in contact with the mercury only when the latter has risen With'- in the displacer, and a third electrode that is only in contact with the mercury when a portion thereof has been lifted with the displacer.

6. In a device of the class described, a Icircuit including a source of current and the primary of a transformer, a relay including a solenoid in parallel with the primary, a stationary sealed envelope associated with the solenoid, a charge of mercury and a gas fill therein, a hollow displacer for the mercury including an armature for .the solenoid and being open to the mercury at .the bottom and having a restricted passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including one that is out of contact with the mercury except when the displacer is partly sunk and mercury has risen Within the displacer, and a third electrode that is out of contact with the mercury except when the displacer has -been lifted and has carried enclosed mercury up with it.

'7. In a device of the class described, a circuit including a source of current and the primary of a transformer, a relay including a solenoid in parallel with the primary, a stationary sealed envelope associated with the solenoid, a charge of mercury and a gas fill therein, a hollow displacer for the mercury including an armature for the solenoid and being open to the mercury at the bottom and having a restricted passage for gas above the mercury, spaced electrodes in the envelope including one with the displacer above the low level of the mercury therein but within reach of displaced mercury rising therein, and a third electrode Within the displacer above the level of the displaced mercury rising therein, but Within reach of mercury carried up with the displacer when it is raised.

8. In a device of the class described, a solenoid circuit and a primary circuit in parallel with a source of current, contacts, an armature for the solenoid and means moved by the armature to close the circuits in the order named, and open them in the reverse order.

9. In a device of the class described, a source of current, a primary circuit and a solenoid connected in parallel with the source, an armature associated with the solenoid and a sealed-in mercury connector operated by downward movement of the armature to close the solenoid circuit, and operated by an upward movement oi the armature to close the primary circuit, and by further upward movement of the armature to open both the circuits.

10. In a device of the class described, a source of current, a primary circuit and a solenoid connected in parallel with the source, an armature associated with the solenoid and a sealed-in mercury connector operated by downward movement of the armature to close the solenoid circuit, and operated by an highly accelerated movement of the armature to close and open the primary circuit in rapid succession.

11. In a device of the class described, a primary circuit and a solenoid circuit in parallel with a source of current, contacts, an armature for the solenoid, and means associated with the contacts and operated by the armature for periodically making and breaking the primary circuit a number of times in rapid succession and breaking the primary circuit for a relatively long interval.

12. In adevice of the class described, a sole noid, a mercury switch including a stationary sealed envelope, a charge of mercury and a gas ll therein, spaced electrodes in the envelope adapted to be connected by the mercury to energize the solenoid, a displacer lifted by the solenoid when energized and having a mercury trap telescoped over one of the electrodes, whereby the circuit through the solenoid is maintained for a predetermined period after the solenoid receives the lifting energy, and a third electrode adapted to be temporarily immersed in the mercury only by upward movement of the displacer.

13. In a device of the class described, a circuit including a source of current and the primary of a transformer, a relay for controlling the circuit including a solenoid in parallel with the primary, and means operated'by the solenoid to break the circuit through the solenoid at the break ing of the circuit through the primary whereby the surge in the latter is not choked by the impedance in the solenoid.

CARL H, LARSON. 

